Your Frenchie’s big bright eyes, those funny bat ears, and the little smile it gets when snorting and snoring make you love them even more. They are just what you expect from a French Bulldog. It seems that lately, your dog is panting excessively, and they are tiring out much too quickly. Are you thinking of getting your dog’s nose fixed?
Domesticated dogs such as the Pug, Boxer, and French Bulldog are bred for their cuteness, but compromised airways come with a shortened head and compressed upper jaw. French Bulldogs, like dogs with other brachycephalic head shapes, experience a disorder called stenotic nares. This condition makes it hard for them to breathe through their noses due to narrow nasal passages, leading to breathing difficulties and excessive panting. If your pet has stenotic nares, surgery is recommended and should be performed around their first year. This rule of thumb may vary depending on the severity of your pet’s condition.
As previously mentioned, French Bulldogs and other similar breeds are suffering from respiratory issues due to long years of cosmetic breeding. The stenotic nares (narrow nostrils) are a primary issue but only the tip of the iceberg. Although French Bulldogs have smaller noses, throats, and airways than other dogs, the soft palate and tongue are large. This can cause a blockage in the upper airway passages. It’s one reason that your poor little Frenchie sometimes gasps for breath. French bulldogs are afflicted with several respiratory disorders. Frenchie’s can face issues with their nostrils and the long soft palate. Due to these factors, stenotic nares sometimes occur as does an elongated soft palate.
Another problem that results from untreated stenotic nares is everted laryngeal saccules. When this condition develops, the small pockets of your pet’s larynx will turn inside out and block their throat. By pooling all of these upper airway obstruction disorders, medical professionals have come up with a single name for them. This syndrome is commonly called brachycephalic syndrome (or BOAS). French bulldogs with brachycephalic orthotic abnormalities suffer from many adverse symptoms including breathing difficulties, gagging, and vomiting. They also may be weak and unable to exercise. If left untreated, more than one variety will progressively worsen. If your pet has stenotic nares or an elongated soft palate, they can be helped with surgical intervention. This surgery may help relieve stress on the heart and improve the ability to breathe more deeply.
Stenotic nares surgery can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to one thousand dollars and depends on the severity of your pet’s situation. By contrast, veterinary procedures to evaluate and treat multiple brachycephalic syndrome disorders can cost thousands of dollars. If your pet suffers from stenotic nares and other potential breathing problems due to this condition, surgery is often a sound choice economically as well as the best option for their overall health and wellbeing.
Pet insurance provides coverage for the brachycephalic syndrome, a condition common in brachycephalic breeds. It is important to purchase pet insurance before your pet becomes ill because it does not cover pre-existing conditions.
Trouble breathing, lack of energy, and wheezing are signs your Frenchie may need a nose job. And what better gift can you offer than a breath of fresh air? Seek the help of your veterinarian.
